Grief Quotes | Beyond Motive

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Grief Quotes

"Grief changes shape, but it never ends."

"Grief changes shape, but it never ends."

Keanu Reeves, Canadian Actor

183

"There is no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief."

"There is no pain so great as the memory of joy in present grief."

Aeschylus, Greek Poet

Grief, Joy, Memory, Pain

87

"Grief walks upon the heels of pleasure; married in haste, we repent at leisure."

"Grief walks upon the heels of pleasure; married in haste, we repent at leisure."

William Congreve, English Poet

Grief, Haste, Leisure, Pleasure

77

"I whisper over to myself the way of loss, the names of the dead. One by one, we lose our loved ones, our friends, our powers of work and pleasure, our landmarks, the days of our allotted time. One by one, the way we lose them, they return to us and are treasured up in our hearts. Grief affirms, them, preserves them, sets the cost. Finally a man stands up alone, scoured and charred like a burnt tree, having lost everything and (at the cost only of its loss) found everything, and is ready to go. Now I am ready."

"I whisper over to myself the way of loss, the names of the dead. One by one, we lose our loved ones, our friends, our powers of work and pleasure, our landmarks, the days of our allotted time. One by one, the way we lose them, they return to us and are treasured up in our hearts. Grief affirms, them, preserves them, sets the cost. Finally a man stands up alone, scoured and charred like a burnt tree, having lost everything and (at the cost only of its loss) found everything, and is ready to go. Now I am ready."

Wendell Berry, American Poet

Grief, Loss, Acceptance, Strength

75

"They heard a lullaby every time a part of her died in Silence."

"They heard a lullaby every time a part of her died in Silence."

Akshay Vasu, Indian Poet

Grief, Silence, Pain, Soul, Emotion

60

"It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone."

"It's so much darker when a light goes out than it would have been if it had never shone."

John Steinbeck, American Author

Grief, Light, Loss, Darkness

57

"The substance of grief is not imaginary. It's as real as rope or the absence of air, and like both those things it can kill."

"The substance of grief is not imaginary. It's as real as rope or the absence of air, and like both those things it can kill."

Barbara Kingsolver, American Novelist

Grief, Pain, Loss, Reality

57

"Grief is a process, not a state."

"Grief is a process, not a state."

Anne Grant, Scottish Poet

56

"There is the staircase,there is the sun.There is the kitchen,the plate with toast and strawberry jam,your subterfuge,your ordinary mirage.You stand red-handed.You want to wash yourself in earth, in rocks and grassWhat are you supposed to dowith all this loss?In the daylight we knowwhat's gone is gone,but at night it's different.Nothing gets finished,not dying, not mourning;the dead repeat themselves, like clumsy drunkslurching sideways through the doorswe open to them in sleep;these slurred guests, never entirely welcome,even those we have loved the most,especially those we have loved the most,returning from where we shoved themaway too quickly:from under the ground, from under the water,they clutch at us, they clutch at us,we won't let go."

"There is the staircase,there is the sun.There is the kitchen,the plate with toast and strawberry jam,your subterfuge,your ordinary mirage.You stand red-handed.You want to wash yourself in earth, in rocks and grassWhat are you supposed to dowith all this loss?In the daylight we knowwhat's gone is gone,but at night it's different.Nothing gets finished,not dying, not mourning;the dead repeat themselves, like clumsy drunkslurching sideways through the doorswe open to them in sleep;these slurred guests, never entirely welcome,even those we have loved the most,especially those we have loved the most,returning from where we shoved themaway too quickly:from under the ground, from under the water,they clutch at us, they clutch at us,we won't let go."

Margaret Atwood, Canadian Novelist

Grief, Loss, Mourning, Death

56

"Striving to tell his woes, words would not come; For light cares speak, when mighty griefs are dumb."

"Striving to tell his woes, words would not come; For light cares speak, when mighty griefs are dumb."

Samuel Daniel, English Poet

Grief, Dumb, Light, Words

55

"Losses do that. One life-loss can infect the whole of a life. Like a rash that wears through our days, our sight becomes peppered with black voids. Now everywhere we look, we only see all that isn't: holes, lack, deficiency."

"Losses do that. One life-loss can infect the whole of a life. Like a rash that wears through our days, our sight becomes peppered with black voids. Now everywhere we look, we only see all that isn't: holes, lack, deficiency."

Ann Voskamp, Canadian Author

Grief, Loss, Trauma, Absence

55

"When somebody you love dies, a phase of life's innocence dies with that person, and a part of you dies as well."

"When somebody you love dies, a phase of life's innocence dies with that person, and a part of you dies as well."

Janvier Chouteu-Chando, Cameroonian Author

Grief, Loss, Life, Love

54

"I became quietly seized with that nostalgia that overcomes you when you have reached the middle of your life and your father has recently died and it dawns on you that when he went he took some of you with him."

"I became quietly seized with that nostalgia that overcomes you when you have reached the middle of your life and your father has recently died and it dawns on you that when he went he took some of you with him."

Bill Bryson, American Writer

Grief, Loss, Identity, Memory

53

"If you suppress grief too much, it can well redouble."

"If you suppress grief too much, it can well redouble."

Moliere, French Playwright

53

"When you feel sad, you are participating in a venerable experience, to which I, this monument, am dedicated. Your sense of loss and disappointment, of frustrated hopes and grief at your own inadequacy, elevate you to serious company. Do not ignore of throw away your grief."

"When you feel sad, you are participating in a venerable experience, to which I, this monument, am dedicated. Your sense of loss and disappointment, of frustrated hopes and grief at your own inadequacy, elevate you to serious company. Do not ignore of throw away your grief."

Alain de Botton, English Writer

Grief, Sadness, Loss, Experience

53

"It was not death, for I stood up,And all the dead lie down;It was not night, for all the bellsPut out their tongues, for noon.It was not frost, for on my fleshI felt siroccos crawl,Nor fire, for just my marble feetCould keep a chancel cool.And yet it tasted like them all;The figures I have seenSet orderly, for burial,Reminded me of mine,As if my life were shavenAnd fitted to a frame,And could not breathe without a key;And I was like midnight, some,When everything that ticked has stopped,And space stares, all around,Or grisly frosts, first autumn morns,Repeal the beating ground.But most like chaos,--stopless, cool,Without a chance or spar,--Or even a report of landTo justify despair."

"It was not death, for I stood up,And all the dead lie down;It was not night, for all the bellsPut out their tongues, for noon.It was not frost, for on my fleshI felt siroccos crawl,Nor fire, for just my marble feetCould keep a chancel cool.And yet it tasted like them all;The figures I have seenSet orderly, for burial,Reminded me of mine,As if my life were shavenAnd fitted to a frame,And could not breathe without a key;And I was like midnight, some,When everything that ticked has stopped,And space stares, all around,Or grisly frosts, first autumn morns,Repeal the beating ground.But most like chaos,--stopless, cool,Without a chance or spar,--Or even a report of landTo justify despair."

Emily Dickinson, American Poet

Grief, Death, Despair, Chaos, Emotion

52

"It is foolish to tear one's hair in grief, as though sorrow would be made less by baldness."

"It is foolish to tear one's hair in grief, as though sorrow would be made less by baldness."

Marcus Tullius Cicero, Roman Statesman

Grief, Hair, Sorrow

51

"I miss him so badly it hurts."

"I miss him so badly it hurts."

Suzanne Collins, American Novelist

Grief, Love, Loss, Pain, Emotion

51

"That was the hard thing about grief, and the grieving. They spoke another language, and the words we knew always fell short of what we wanted them to say."

"That was the hard thing about grief, and the grieving. They spoke another language, and the words we knew always fell short of what we wanted them to say."

Sarah Dessen, American Author

Grief, Language, Expression, Pain

51

"The sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow from which we refuse to be divorced. Every other wound we seek to heal - every other affliction to forget: but this wound we consider it a duty to keep open - this affliction we cherish and brood over in solitude."

"The sorrow for the dead is the only sorrow from which we refuse to be divorced. Every other wound we seek to heal - every other affliction to forget: but this wound we consider it a duty to keep open - this affliction we cherish and brood over in solitude."

Washington Irving, American Writer

Grief, Affliction, Duty, Open, Solitude

50

"No truth can cure the sorrow we feel from losing a loved one. No truth, no sincerity, no strength, no kindness can cure that sorrow. "

"No truth can cure the sorrow we feel from losing a loved one. No truth, no sincerity, no strength, no kindness can cure that sorrow. "

Haruki Murakami, Japanese Writer

Grief, Truth, Sorrow, Loss, Kindness

50

"I feel the monster of grief again, writhing in the empty space where my heart and stomach used to be. I gasp, pressing both palms to my chest. Now the monstrous thing has its claws around my throat, squeezing my airway. I twist and put my head between my knees, breathing until the strangled feeling leaves me."

"I feel the monster of grief again, writhing in the empty space where my heart and stomach used to be. I gasp, pressing both palms to my chest. Now the monstrous thing has its claws around my throat, squeezing my airway. I twist and put my head between my knees, breathing until the strangled feeling leaves me."

Veronica Roth, American Author

Grief, Breath, Loss, Pain

50

"Chip, she's gone, and he said, "I thought I'd feel her looking down on us, but you're right. She's just gone."

"Chip, she's gone, and he said, "I thought I'd feel her looking down on us, but you're right. She's just gone."

John Green, American Author

Grief, Loss, Emotion, Life

50

"After our loved one dies: we cry, not because they left; but because they left us."

"After our loved one dies: we cry, not because they left; but because they left us."

Mokokoma Mokhonoana, South African Philosopher

Grief, Truth, Life, Love

50

"What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,That he should weep for her?"

"What's Hecuba to him, or he to Hecuba,That he should weep for her?"

William Shakespeare, English Dramatist

Grief, Loss, Truth, Wisdom, Life

50

"It is a sad truth in life that when someone has lost a loved one, friends sometimes avoid the person, just when the presence of friends is most needed."

"It is a sad truth in life that when someone has lost a loved one, friends sometimes avoid the person, just when the presence of friends is most needed."

Lemony Snicket, American Author

Grief, Loss, Friend, Support

49

"Not in sorrow freely is never to open the bosom to the sweets of the sunshine."

"Not in sorrow freely is never to open the bosom to the sweets of the sunshine."

William Gilmore Simms, American Novelist

Grief, Open, Sorrow

49

"Grief is perhaps an unknown territory for you. You might feel both helpless and hopeless without a sense of a "map" for the journey. Confusion is the hallmark of a transition. To rebuild both your inner and outer world is a major project."

"Grief is perhaps an unknown territory for you. You might feel both helpless and hopeless without a sense of a "map" for the journey. Confusion is the hallmark of a transition. To rebuild both your inner and outer world is a major project."

Anne Grant, Scottish Poet

Grief, Confusion, Journey, Project

48

"Touch'd either the Passions of Rage or Grief to a Miracle."

"Touch'd either the Passions of Rage or Grief to a Miracle."

Barton Booth, English Actor

48

"What is deservedly suffered must be borne with calmness, but when the pain is unmerited, the grief is resistless."

"What is deservedly suffered must be borne with calmness, but when the pain is unmerited, the grief is resistless."

Ovid, Roman Poet

48

"Grief is a disease. We were riddled with its pockmarks, tormented by its fevers, broken by its blows. It ate at us like maggots, attacked us like lice- we scratched ourselves to the edge of madness. In the process we became as withered as crickets, as tired as old dogs."

"Grief is a disease. We were riddled with its pockmarks, tormented by its fevers, broken by its blows. It ate at us like maggots, attacked us like lice- we scratched ourselves to the edge of madness. In the process we became as withered as crickets, as tired as old dogs."

Yann Martel, Canadian Author

Grief, Pain, Suffering, Loss

47

"She was overstrained with grief and loneliness: almost any shoulder would have done as well."

"She was overstrained with grief and loneliness: almost any shoulder would have done as well."

F. Scott Fitzgerald, American Author

Grief, Support, Emotion, Truth

47

"One often calms one's grief by recounting it."

"One often calms one's grief by recounting it."

Pierre Corneille, French Dramatist

46

"Weep hard as much as you need, but do not let your tears pursue the sorrow for the rest of your life."

"Weep hard as much as you need, but do not let your tears pursue the sorrow for the rest of your life."

Munia Khan, Bangladeshi Poet

Grief, Tears, Sorrow, Healing, Emotion

46

"Have you ever lost someone you love and wanted one more conversation, one more chance to make up for the time when you thought they would be here forever? If so, then you know you can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back."

"Have you ever lost someone you love and wanted one more conversation, one more chance to make up for the time when you thought they would be here forever? If so, then you know you can go your whole life collecting days, and none will outweigh the one you wish you had back."

Mitch Albom, American Writer

Grief, Loss, Love, Regret, Time

46

"The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then queen died of grief is a plot."

"The king died and then the queen died is a story. The king died, and then queen died of grief is a plot."

E. M. Forster, English Novelist

45

"We may not commit a lesser Sin under pretence to avoid a greater, but we may, nay we ought to endure the greatest Pain and Grief rather than commit the least Sin."

"We may not commit a lesser Sin under pretence to avoid a greater, but we may, nay we ought to endure the greatest Pain and Grief rather than commit the least Sin."

Mary Astell, English Writer

Grief, May, Pain, Sin

45

"I can't imagine it's easy to like someone, hate them, and then lose them before any of those feelings are resolved."

"I can't imagine it's easy to like someone, hate them, and then lose them before any of those feelings are resolved."

Veronica Roth, American Author

Grief, Emotion, Loss, Love

45

"There is a kind of euphoria of grief, a degree of madness."

"There is a kind of euphoria of grief, a degree of madness."

Nigella Lawson, British Journalist

44

"I feel like the writer observing the grief, but it is difficult to be detached from it."

"I feel like the writer observing the grief, but it is difficult to be detached from it."

Hugh Leonard, Irish Dramatist

44

"In the aftermath of destruction, a silence settles " the stillness of fresh loss. People's cheerful chatter is fainter, the blue color of sky dimmer; now that horror is undeniable and feels inescapable, the value of life seems lessened."

"In the aftermath of destruction, a silence settles " the stillness of fresh loss. People's cheerful chatter is fainter, the blue color of sky dimmer; now that horror is undeniable and feels inescapable, the value of life seems lessened."

Aspen Matis, American Author

Grief, Loss, Silence, Trauma, Sorrow

44

"To touch a sore is to renew one's grief."

"To touch a sore is to renew one's grief."

Terence, Roman Writer

44

"In all our lives, however, there are many days when we die a little, when we are wounded by loss or failure, or by fear, or by seeing the suffering of others for whom we are able to offer only pity, for whom we are powerless to offer aid, we are beyond mercy."

"In all our lives, however, there are many days when we die a little, when we are wounded by loss or failure, or by fear, or by seeing the suffering of others for whom we are able to offer only pity, for whom we are powerless to offer aid, we are beyond mercy."

Dean Koontz, American Author

Grief, Loss, Failure, Suffering, Empathy

43

"Can I see another's woe, and not be in sorrow too? Can I see another's grief, and not seek for kind relief?"

"Can I see another's woe, and not be in sorrow too? Can I see another's grief, and not seek for kind relief?"

William Blake, English Poet

43

"The natural effect of sorrow over the dead is to refine and elevate the mind."

"The natural effect of sorrow over the dead is to refine and elevate the mind."

Washington Irving, American Writer

Grief, Effect, Mind, Sorrow

42

"ABBA: The Movie; I got a lot of grief for working on that."

"ABBA: The Movie; I got a lot of grief for working on that."

Lasse Hallstrom, Swedish Director

42

"Only tears can hear the sound of pain when warm blood reddens discolored stain."

"Only tears can hear the sound of pain when warm blood reddens discolored stain."

Munia Khan, Bangladeshi Poet

Grief, Pain, Tears, Blood, Emotion

42

"I picked up the writing on the very day he died. It was the only consolation I could find."

"I picked up the writing on the very day he died. It was the only consolation I could find."

Wilfrid Sheed, English Novelist

Grief, Day, Writing

41

"Another form of bargaining, which many people do, and she did too, is to replay the final painful moments over and over in her head as if by doing so she could eventually create a different outcome.It is natural to replay in your mind the details. Deep in your heart you know what is true. Your mouth speaks the words, "My cat has died, but you still don't really want to believe it. You go over and over and over it in your mind. Your heart replays the scene for you for the express purpose of teaching you to accept what has happened. While your heart tries to "rewire your mind to accept it, your mind keeps looking for a different answer. It doesn't like the truth. Like anything else, when you hear it enough, you finally accept that it is true."

"Another form of bargaining, which many people do, and she did too, is to replay the final painful moments over and over in her head as if by doing so she could eventually create a different outcome.It is natural to replay in your mind the details. Deep in your heart you know what is true. Your mouth speaks the words, "My cat has died, but you still don't really want to believe it. You go over and over and over it in your mind. Your heart replays the scene for you for the express purpose of teaching you to accept what has happened. While your heart tries to "rewire your mind to accept it, your mind keeps looking for a different answer. It doesn't like the truth. Like anything else, when you hear it enough, you finally accept that it is true."

Kate McGahan, American Author

Grief, Bargain, Moment, Truth, Acceptance

41

"And I felt like my heart had been so thoroughly and irreparably broken that there could be no real joy again, that at best there might eventually be a little contentment. Everyone wanted me to get help and rejoin life, pick up the pieces and move on, and I tried to, I wanted to, but I just had to lie in the mud with my arms wrapped around myself, eyes closed, grieving, until I didn't have to anymore."

"And I felt like my heart had been so thoroughly and irreparably broken that there could be no real joy again, that at best there might eventually be a little contentment. Everyone wanted me to get help and rejoin life, pick up the pieces and move on, and I tried to, I wanted to, but I just had to lie in the mud with my arms wrapped around myself, eyes closed, grieving, until I didn't have to anymore."

Anne Lamott, American Author

Grief, Loss, Pain, Life

41

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